Former ASU football player Antonio Longino, who was days away from a tryout with the Cincinnati Bengals, is in custody at the Cleveland Heights police department, charged with tampering with evidence in a homicide investigation.
There was a vehicle with two bullet holes towed from Longino’s aunt’s house Wednesday afternoon. A search warrant was also served and several bags of evidence were taken from the home.
According to a police source, all of this is part of an investigation into a homicide that occurred at the Sunny Spot Lounge in Cleveland Heights early Tuesday morning.
Cleveland Heights Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg confirmed late Wednesday that Longino was taken into custody and charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the case.
The source told reporter Homa Bash that Longino was taken into custody Tuesday around 9 p.m.
A 24-year-old Cleveland man was shot and died after police found him in a vehicle in a parking lot at 2212 Noble Road, according to Cleveland Heights police. Officers say they had responded to a report of shots fired at around 2:28 a.m. when they found Dejon D. Forbes with an apparent gunshot wound. Forbes was transported to University Hospital, but he died shortly afterward.
Longino was trying out for the Cincinnati Bengals, according to NFL.com. He was not drafted in the recent draft, but was supposed to report to the team’s rookie camp as an undrafted free agent.
Family members confirmed to ABC15 sister station newsnet5.com that Longino was looking forward to joining the NFL. In a tweet from May 1, Longino expresses his gratefulness to Cincinnati.
Its crazy bc this was never given 2 me Cincinnati thnk you 4 givn me ths opportunity and when I say itspersonal thts a under statement
According to NFL.com, Longino is from East Cleveland and attended Hutchinson Community College before going to Arizona State University.
The ASU Sun Devil Athletics website stated Longino, a linebacker, went to Shaw High School. He is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 230 pounds.
Mecklenberg confirmed that Longino is being held in the Cleveland Heights jail on a $100,000 bond on the tampering with evidence charge and is expected to make a court appearance soon.
